A 3-year-old boy died Saturday in Florida after being found unresponsive in a hot car, marking the eighth child hot car death in the United States this year as summer gets underway.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the boy's father called 911 after finding his son unresponsive in the parked car around 10:40 p.m. The vehicle was parked in the family's driveway on Emerald Shore Drive in Riverview, Fla.
The child was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital-South, where he was pronounced dead.
"This tragedy underscores a critical danger that we must never take for granted," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "A vehicle can reach lethal temperatures within minutes. We urge every parent and caregiver in our community to make hot vehicle safety a priority. Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even for a moment."
Temperatures in Riverview were forecast to reach 94 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, with lows remaining above 80 degrees. On hot, sunny days, vehicles can trap heat like a greenhouse, allowing temperatures inside to climb above 120 degrees in minutes.
